international astronautical congress ~ adelaide
Space Pioneers applauds the plan to declare war on space junk at the International Astronautical Congress nest week ~
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-22/the-challenges-of-tracking-space-junk/8972438
From the perspective of space settlement, space junk exists because space exploration and development has been done on the cheap.
If the space settlement vision of the 1970s had been pursued, which was entirely possible, and would have created far more wealth then the investment, space junk would not be a problem now.
This is due to the simple detail, that the people living in space would have made sure that space was kept clean, so that space cities and settlements would be safe.
Now, if a space junk cascade happens, humans could be trapped on Earth for hundreds of years, if not tumbling into a post-apocalyptic world.
The space junk cascade would happen when one satellite hits another satellite, smashing both into little pieces, which then fly off at high velocity and smash into other satellites, smashing them up.
The movie ~ Gravity ~ was based on this event happening, with the loss of all space stations, and one surviving astronaut.
We can but hope that the war on space junk to be declared at the International Astronautical Congress next week, will lead to effective action that pre-empts any space junk avalanche.
We may yet learn the harsh lesson, that pursuing space exploration and development on the cheap can come with an extremely high price tag.
….
Kim Peart has been engaged in the space settlement movement since 1976 and will be attending the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide next week.
Kim Peart’s article on space junk ~
What Happens When the Sky Starts to Fall?
http://oldtt.pixelkey.biz/index.php?/weblog/article/what-happens-when-the-sky-starts-to-fall/
Earlier story published on the ABC News Online ~
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-16/kim-peart-tasmanian-political-hopefuls-space-dream-for-future/8892938
Kim Peart a lion for Lyons, Australian Space Party
